Advancing Girl's education in Zambia

Abstract

The Programme for the Advancement of Girls' Education (PAGE) is a Ministry of Education (MOE) supported by UNICEF with initial funding from CIDA. PAGE was developed in 1996 based on experiences from the previous Girl Child Education Programme (1994-1995), as well as through the utilisation of findings from research studies that were part of that programme. The Girl Child Education Programme focused on policy development, development of gender sensitive materials and research. Building on the success of the Girl Child Education Programme, PAGE integrated advocacy, gender sensitisation, social mobilisation and testing of specific interventions to improve girls' education. PAGE is a concrete expression of Zambia's commitment to the advancement of girls and women in education and all sectors of society. The programme seeks to deliver quality primary education to all children, especially girls, and to reduce gender disparities in primary education enrolment, retention, completion and achievement. The overall objectives of PAGE are: • to empower girls and women to fully participate in and benefit from the economic and social development of the nation; and • to ensure the survival of girls into adulthood with particular emphasis on their protection from HIV/AIDS.